A 6-day voyage aboard the sporty yacht, Le Levant, includes a complete transit of the Panama Canal, as well as encounters with the Kuna and Choco peoples who live in this beautiful area much as they have for centuries.
After your Panama Canal cruise, a Costa Rica tour explores the rich interior, with its abundant wildlife. See flying kaleidoscopes of colorful wings all around you at the Butterfly Observatory and the Hummingbird Garden. Walk on the lunar-like lava landscape at the summit of mighty Volcano Irazú, Costa Rica's largest volcano. Tauck's Costa Rica tour is unlike any other!
-
Day 1: Arrive San Jose for the start of your Costa Rica tour
Tauck's Costa Rica tour and cruise of the Panama Canal begins at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel. Welcome to Costa Rica! A transfer is included from Juan Santamaria International Airport to the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel. Set amidst a flourishing coffee plantation, this gracious hacienda-style hotel, known for its views, will be your home for the next three nights. Meals: Dinner Lodging: Costa Rica Marriott Hotel, San Jose, Costa Rica
-
Day 2: A walk on the moon
Begin your Costa Rica tour with a visit to Volcano Irazú National Park, where you'll walk along the lava trails and through the surreal lunar landscape of the tallest volcano in Costa Rica - a highlight of this Costa Rica tour. Although there hasn't been a significant eruption since 1963, Irazú still grumbles a bit upon occasion. Peer down at the strangely colored lake at the bottom of the Diego de la Haya crater and, if the weather is clear, see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Please join us for our welcome reception and dinner this evening with local entertainment. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Costa Rica Marriott Hotel, San Jose, Costa Rica
-
Day 3: Glorious butterflies on Tauck's Costa Rica tour
Five marvelous waterfalls cascade into the rainforest at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. After a stroll among them, you'll be dazzled by the kaleidoscope of jewel-like butterflies soaring around you in the Butterfly Observatory and be enchanted by the multitude of brightly colored wild hummingbirds that visit the many feeders in the Hummingbird Garden. No Costa Rica tour would be complete without a visit to a coffee plantation to learn about the process of roasting coffee. Meals: Breakfast, lunch Lodging: Costa Rica Marriott Hotel, San Jose, Costa Rica
-
Day 4: By land and by sea
Continue your Costa Rica tour with sightseeing in charming San Jose, seeing the National Theater and the National Museum, depending on the day of the week. After taking the opportunity to stroll around the famous artisan town of Sarchi, continue on to Puerto Caldera to board Le Levant. You'll be welcomed aboard with warm smiles from the friendly crew. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Aboard Le Levant
-
Day 5: Wild and wonderful, your Costa Rica tour continues
A most biologically interesting place, the Marenco Biological Reserve on the remote Osa Peninsula has many natural wonders to share during this Costa Rica tour. Go ashore with a knowledgeable naturalist to look for one of the many species of exotic birds or tropical wildlife that make their homes in the rainforests of the reserve, and perhaps enjoy a swim in a freshwater stream. Please join us tonight for the Captain's Dinner aboard Le Levant as we sail to Coiba Island. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Aboard Le Levant
-
Day 6: A day in paradise
Le Levant anchors off Panama's idyllic Coiba Island National Park to offer you the delights of a day spent in the sun and the sea. Swim in the warm, clear water, observe the underwater world while snorkeling or just relax on the secluded white sand beach. A barbeque lunch on the beach will be a special treat on this Costa Rica tour. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Aboard Le Levant
-
Day 7: Meet the people of the Darien
A visit to an indigenous Indian community in this remote area of Panama's Darien Province reveals a lifestyle that includes many traditions of the Choco Indians dating back to the early 16th century. Travel by cayucos, motorized canoes, on the Mogue River to meet the local people, observe their daily lives, view their traditional dances and admire their artful carvings in Cocobolo wood and Tague 'vegetable ivory.' This opportunity to learn about their routines of everyday life is an experience you can't get if traveling on your own, and will be one of the most memorable days of your Panama / Costa Rica tour and cruise. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Aboard Le Levant
-
Day 8: The 'big dig'
Our voyage from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea through the Panama Canal will be a fascinating and memorable experience as the great locks open and close, ultimately lowering Le Levant 85 feet. Ships were once towed through the locks by four-legged mules, and the tractors that do the job today are still called mules in their honor. The bustling Panama Canal is truly a modern engineering marvel, and the centerpiece of your Panama / Costa Rica tour and cruise. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Aboard Le Levant
-
Day 9: San Blas Sights
The captivatingly beautiful San Blas Islands are home to the shy Kuna Indian people. Go ashore this morning to meet them and admire their famous, exquisitely embroidered molas. Usually made to be part of a woman's blouse, a framed mola is a work of art. See how this intricate needlework is done or spend the afternoon swimming or snorkeling. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: Aboard Le Levant
-
Day 10: Natural treasures and man-made marvels
Bid farewell to Le Levant today and travel to Panama's Gamboa Rainforest Resort where you can choose an aerial tram ride with a naturalist (the only gondola in Panama), or a boat cruise with a naturalist. Get a shore-side look at the workings of the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, through which you passed aboard Le Levant. At tonight's farewell cocktail reception and dinner you'll have an opportunity to share reflections from the cruise and Costa Rica tour. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Lodging: InterContinental Miramar Panama, Panama City
-
Day 11: Journey Home
Your Costa Rica tour and cruise of the Panama Canal ends in Panama City. A transfer from the InterContinental Miramar Panama to Tocumen International Airport is included. Please allow at least 2 - hours for check-in formalities. Meals: Breakfast